Cotton-chopper



(ModaL) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. P. TYSON.

' Cotton Chopper. No. 237,931. Patented Feb. 15,1881.

Mr/mmm.

".PEIERS, PHOTOUTHOGRAHER. WASHINGTON. D C- (Model) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

B. P. TYSON. v Cotton Chopper. N0.- 237,931. Patent ed Feb. I5, 1881.

MOM 5555 I j/w /vmm N.FE|ER, FHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C,

UNITED STA ES PATENT @FHCE.

EDWARD P. TYSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COTTON-CHOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,931, dated February 15, 1881,

Application filed August 16, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD P. TYsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Cotton-Choppers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in machines for cultivating cotton, my present improvements being devoted particularly to the construction and operation of the chopping devices, and the object of the improvements being to insure the effective action of the chopping-blade upon the plants under whatever circumstances it may have to be used.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a longitudinal section of my improved machine as arranged for performing the operation known as chopping, Fig. 2, a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, Sheet 2, a longitudinal section of the machine, with the chopping devices removed and a planting device substituted therefor; Figs. 5 and 6, Sheet 1, and Figs. 7, 8, and 9, Sheet 2, views of the chopping-blade and mechanism for adjusting and operating the same Fig. 10, a view of a special form of chopping-blade; Fig. 11, Sheet 3, a front view of my machine as arranged for performing the operation of filling; Fig. 12, a detached perspective view of guard, and Fig. 13 a sectional view of the clutching device.

I will first proceed to describe the machine as it is arranged for planting the seed, reference being had to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings for an understanding of the construction of the frame of the machine andthe driving mechanism, and to Fig. 4particularly for the construction of the planting devices.

The frame A of the machine has bearings for the axle a, on which, outside of the frame, are mounted the wheels B, one or both of which may be secured to the axle, it being advisable to permit one wheel to revolve loosely for convenience in turning the machine.

Turningloosely on the axle ais a bevel-wheel, I), which may be clutched to or released from the said axle at pleasure by means of a clutch, d, Figs. 2 and 13, the operating-lever d of which is within convenient reach of the driver, who occupies a seat, 0, mounted on a frame, 6,

projecting rearwardly from the frame A. The bevel-wheel b gears with a pinion, f, Fig. 4, on a shaft or spindle, f, which is adapted to bearings in a seed hopper or receptacle, D, flanges on the latter resting on and being secured to the top of theframe A. The shaftf has a series of agitating arms or beaters, whereby the seeds in the hopper are kept constant] y stirred up, and a free flow of the seed through the discharge-spout thus insured, the flow being regulated by an adjustable gate or valve, as usual in seed-planters.

To a suitable guide at the front of the hopper is adapted a bar, 9, which carries at the lower end a small plow or furrow-turner, g, the upper end of said bar being connected, by means of a link, 9 bell-crank lever 9 and rod 1 to an arm, h, on a rock'shaft, h, adapted to bearings in standards on the frame A, the operation of the shaft, so as to raise or lower the bar 9 and its plow g, being effected by the manipulation of an arm, 7L which carries a spring-pin adapted to openings in a segmental plate on one of the standards which carry the shaft h. By this means the plow g may be elevated or depressed and secured in position after adjustment, so that the depth of the furrow can be readily governed.

Hung to the lower end of the bar gis a covering-plate, 70, Fig. 4, which serves to turn the earth in the furrow made by the plow g. Owing to this method of depositing the seed the plants form a continuous row, and it becomes necessary to thin them out after they have attained a certain size, in order to prevent them from interfering with each other during their further growth. To adapt the machine for the performance of this duty the said hopper and its appurtenances are detached from the frame A and arm IL, and a bar, E, is pivoted to the front end of the frame, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, this bar having two arms, F, which extend rearwardly and have downwardly-bent ends, carrying plows or cultivator-blades F, the bars being arranged at such a distance apart that the blades F will run along each side of the row of plants and reduce the said row to'a uniform width, all straggling or superfluous plants being dug up and thrown to one side by the action of said blades F, the

depth to which the blades enter the ground being regulated in this case, as in the case of the plow g, by the manipulation of the arm 762 on the shaft h, the arm h on which is connected, by a suitable rod, to a stud on a crossbar, G, carried by the bars F.

If desired, more than two blades may be used. These blades F can be reversed, as shown in Fig. 11, and a guard, T, placed between them to keep the soil away from the plants. The guard T is forked, having arms (1 q, carrying guard-plates q q, Fig. 12, so that the machine can pass over the plants without disturbing them.

Hun g to the axle a is a frame, J, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, having bearings for the shaft 1', on one end of which is a pinion, 6, adapted to gear with the bevel-wheel I), the opposite end of the shaft having a crank, m, the crank-pin of which is connected to the upper end of a bar, K, carrying at the lower end the choppingblade M, and slotted longitudinally for the reception of a pin, 12, fixed on the frame J. Owing to the relation of this pin to the crank, the rotation of the latter in the direction of the arrow imparts a differential movement to the ehopping-blade,the upward,backward, and downward movements of the latter being comparatively slow, owing to the fact that the crank-pin during these movements is traversing the upper portion of its circular path, and is farthest removed from the fulcrum-pin a, as in Fig. 5; but the chopping movement of the blade-that is to say, the forward or lateral movement of the same across the row of plants, when the blade is at its lowest pointis very rapid, owing to the fact that the crank-pin is then traversing that portion of its path nearest to the fulcrum-pin 12, as in Fig. 6. The action of the chopping-blade is thus almost exactly the same as that of an ordinary handhoe.

The throw of the chopping-knife M can be varied by varying the size and number of teeth of the pinion i, the bevel-wheel I) being adapted to the different-sized pinions by adjusting the wheel on the shaft a, and seeurin g it after adjustment, by the screw it, in the collar 11, Fig. 13.

Secured to and projecting rearwardly from the frame J is a yoke, 1 to which is secured a vertical bar, L, carrying at the lower end a wheel or roller, 1;,Figs. l and 2,the bolt whereby the bar L is secured to the yoke 1? being adapted to a longitudinal slot in the bar, so that the yoke P, and with it the frame J, may be elevated or depressed, and the vertical position of the chopping-blade M andits operating devices thereby changed, as the character of the work to be performed may suggest.

\Vhen it is desired to throw the chopping knife out of operation without stopping the forward movement of the machine, the crank m is turned to its highest position, as shown in Fig. 5, and held in this position by means of a lever, S, one arm of which bears upon the bar K, as shown in said Fig. 5. The chopping-blade is thus held clear of the ground, and does not interfere with the forward movement of the machine. It will be understood that when the crank m is locked, as shown, the clutch (1 is operated so as to release the the bevel-wheel b from the axle; otherwise, said axle would also be locked.

The lower end of the bar K has a segmental projection, s, which is adapted to a segmental socket, t, secured to the choppin g-blade M, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the projection being retained within the socket by the pivotpin 8. The socket t has a slot, to which is adapted the stem of a bolt, 8 the latter being adapted to a threaded opening in the edge of the projection s, and serving to secure the socket to the projection in any position to which it may be adjusted in respect thereto. By this means the angle of the chopping-blade M laterally in respect to the bar K may be readily changed to accord with changes in the character of the work to be performed. (See Fig. 8.) The angle of the blade M longitudinally in respect to the bar K may also be varied, the block being pivoted at its center to the socket t, and the upper edge of the blade being connected, by rods 10, to a segmental bar, 00, having a slot for the reception of the stem of a bolt, 00, which screws into a threaded opening in the socket t. (See Figs. 7 and 9.)

The above-described machine, although especially intended as a cotton planter and chopper, may be used for the planting and cultivation of vegetables, if desired, it being advisable in such case, however, to employ, instead of the chopping-blade shown in Figs. 1 to 9, a recessed blade, as shown in Fig. 10, whereby a number of cuts through the row of plants will be made on each movement of the blade. The latter may also be used with ad vantage in some cases in the cultivation of cotton.

I do not desire to claim in this application the planting devices or the cultivating-blades and the means of operating the same, these being shown and described merely to illustrate the adaptability of the main frame and its connections for their reception and operation.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the frame of the machine, having a fixed fulcrum-pin, a, and shaft '5, with crank m, means for rotating said shaft 45, a chopping-blade, M, and a bar, K, carrying at its lower end the said blade M, connected at the upper end to the pin ot' the crank m, and slotted between the ends for adaptation to the fixed fulcrum-pin n, as set forth.

2. The combination of the bar K, the centrally-pivoted chopping-blade M, the slotted segmental bar a", the rods 10, whereby the opposite ends of said bar are connected to the opposite ends of the blade, and the confiningbolt 00, whereby the bar 00 and blade M are confined in any longitudinal position to which they may be adjusted, as set forth.

3. The combination of the bar K, having a to this specification in the presence of two subsegmentai projection, s, the slotted segmental scribing witnesses. socket 25 adapted thereto, the blade M, pivoted to said socket, the slotted segmental bar 00,

5 and rods w, the pivoting-bolt s of the socket, Witnesses:

and the confining-bolts s and 00, as specified. J. KNIGHT TYSON,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name HENRY HOWSON, Jr.

EDWARD P. TYSON. 

